Heating, straining or filtering, and circulating liquids.



N0. 747,429. PATENTED DEC. 22, 1903.

W. HUPGHEN. HEATING, STRAINING, OR FILTERING AND GIRGULATING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1903.

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- W. HUPCHEN. HEATING, STRAINING, OR FILTERING AND GIRUULATING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented December 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HUPCHEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY ONE- HUNDREDTHSTOSAMUEL MUNDHEIM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HEATING, STRAlNlNG OR FILTERING, AND CIRCULATING LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 747.429, dated December22, 1903.

Application filed March 16,1903. Serial No. 147.929, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HUPCHEN, a. citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county ofKings, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulMeans for Heating, Straining or Filtering, and Circulating Liquids, ofwhich the following is a specification.

While my invention may-be applied to a variety. of purposes, it is moreparticularly designed for use in making felt hats. It is the commonpractice in this art to dip the mat in a tank of very hot water, andthen the mat is removed for rolling,'this rolling and dipping beingrepeated alternately for some hours. When the mat is first dipped intothis tank, the loose material, known as pod-. gum fur and hair, leavesthe mat and rises to the surface of the water, Where it remains,although it does to some extent adhere to the mat when it is withdrawnfrom the water, and by this adhesion the mat is disfigured or inj ured.

The object of my invention is to provide a. means whereby all thisobjectionable fur and hair may be easily and economically removed fromthe surface of the liquid, sothat the mat may be withdrawn from the tankWithout injury. This object I accomplish byproviding means in the tankfordrawing the surface liquid inwardly and then downwardly throughstrainers, where the impurities are caught, and then the liquid ispassed to the lower edge of the tank, from whence it may return to thesurface. While this circulation and filtrationmay'be brought about byany suitable taken'on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2 looking in the direction ofthe arrows. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of two separate parts of astrainer or filter. Fig. 5 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 4,one part only being shown. Fig. 6. is a plan view of the strainer orfilter shown in Fig. 5.

Throughout the various views similar reference characters designatesimilar parts.

The tank A may be of any suitable shape and is preferably provided witha flange 1 on which the mat may be'rolled, and is also providedwith adrain and overflow, which consists of a hollow plug H, with aperforation 1 atthe water-level, and a handle 2 which is made of wood orsome other nonconductor of heat. When the tank is to be emptied, theplug H is moved bodily. As

such tanks have been in use for many years and are well known in theart, further description is believed to be unnecessary. Gentrallylocated in this tank is a'funnel or receptacle B. This funnel has acylindrical up-' per portion 1 a conical intermediate portion 2 and athreaded nipple 3 for its lower portion. The nipple 3 is screw-threadedinto the distributor O at 1 and in the vertical walls 2 of thisdistributerare secured radial V i es 3, whose outer ends terminateadjanected by a pipe 1 and a valve 2 with any suitable source of steam,as a boiler. A jamnut 3 Secures the nozzle against the collar 5 A wateror liquid pipe E, with a valve 1 connected to any suitable, source ofwater-supply, terminates over the funnel B and adjacent to the pipelSlightly above the webs 4 the funnel is provided with a collar 6 onwhich rests an upwardly and inwardly inclined filter or strainer F,which is provided with a central opening 1 through which the pipe 1passes. This strainer F maybe located at any convenient place in thefunnel B.

A two-part cylindrical strainer G or sieve fits the part 1 of the funneland extends throughout the length of this part. This filter or strainerG comprises a conical and perforated bottom 1- 2 surrounded bycylindrical vertical walls 3 4 and vertical radial walls 7 8 The radialwalls 7 are provided with a turned-over flange 9 which are adapted tocover the upper edges of the radial walls 8 when the strainer is inplace in the funnel. The cylindrical walls 3 4 are provided at theirupper extremities with downwardly and inwardly extending flanges 10 andll and also with protruding handles 12 and 13 For convenience I haveshown the strainer G divided into two parts. It is obvious that it maybe divided into any number desired, as may be convenient.

The distributer O, with its radial pipes 3 is centrally placed on thebottom of the tank A. The funnel B is secured to the joint 0 by means ofthe nipple 3 The nozzle D is then put in place and turned until itslower end is the proper distance from the funnel B, and then the nozzleis held securely in place by means of the jam-nut 3 and the screen orsieve F is put in place. The nozzle D is then connected by the pipe 1 toany suitable source of steam-supply. The divided strainer G is then putin place in the funnel B, the part with the partition 8 being first putin position, and the water-pipe E is then placed thereover. The bottomof the strainer Gand the conical portion of the funnel 2 slope indiiferent directions,so they are oppositely disposed.

When the apparatus is to be put in use, assuming the tank to be empty,the water or other liquid and steam are turned on together andcommingled at the nipple 3 and the liquid is positively moved or forcedby the steam when it passes out through the pipes 3 This continues untilthe level of the wa ter is slightly above the top of the funnel B, whenit is shut 0E, and the steam continues to heat the water and send itwith some force against the outer walls of the tank. This water thenrises to the surface at the edges and then flows to the upper edge ofthe funnel, whence it passes over the flanges 1O and 11 through thestrainers G and F, and thence out through the pipes 3 the velocity andforce with which this circulation takes place depending on the amount ofsteam admitted. \Vhen the mat is immersed in hot water, podgum fur andhair are detached therefrom and float to the surface. These impuritiesare carried by the surface currents to the funnel B, where they are leftin the strainers G and F, so that when the mat leaves the water it willbe entirely free from this objectionable fur and hair. From time to timeas the fur and hair accumulate in the sieves or strainers they may beremoved for cleaning and replaced with no expense and delay. As thewater with the podgum-fur falls on the conical wall of the strainer 2the furis washed to the bottom of the strainer 2 and the wall 46*, sothat the upper perforations are kept clear of this objectionable fur.This makes the strainer self-cleaning and produces a result whichwouldbe impossible if the walls of the strainer were made vertical, asin this case the hair would soon cover the perforations and clog theapparatus.

I have found by actual practice that my invention as above describedwill preserve the water free from all podgum fur and hair, so that thewater may be used indefinitely without emptying and cleaning the tankunless dyes are used, in which case the tank must be emptied andcleansed whenever neccssany to eliminate the efiects of the dyes. As thewater in the tanks, except for the podgum fur and hair, improves withuse, my means for getting rid of this objectionable fur and hair is agreat improvement over the common practice in this art, which is todrain the water ofi every day and clean the tank and then refilling thetank with fresh cold and unused Water.

From this description it is obvious that the liquid below the surfaceand a little removed from the Walls of the tank will be comparativelystill, so that the mat is plunged into quiet water except when for aninstant it comes into contact with the surface currents.

In the above I have shown and described the best embodiment of myinvention known to me. However, many other forms may be employed, all ofwhich are within the scope of my invention; nor is it necessary that myentire process be used, as a part for some purposes may be utilized withgreat advantage, such as the means or process for filtering the liquidat its upper surface, by causing it to pass through astrainer within theliquid mass. This is a very different process from the well-known one ofpouring a liquid through a strainer or similar device.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an apparatus ofthe class described, comprising means for causing convergingsurfacecurrents in a liquid mass, positively-acting means for forcing saidcurrents to move downwardly in said liquid mass, and means for removingthe suspended or floating for on the down ward movement. 7

2. Inspirating means for causing surface currents in a liquid mass toremove fur therefrom, means for causing said currents to flow downwardlyto a point within the liquid mass, and means for removing the fur fromthe liquid on said downward movement.

3. Means for causing surface currents in a liquid mass, means forstraining out impurities from said currents and positively-acting meansfor forcing said strained currents to the outer and lower portion of themass.

4. Means for causing surface currents in a liquid mass, centrallylocated means for straining said currents, positively acting means forforcing the strained liquid to the outer and lower extremities of themass, and means for guiding from the said extremities to the uppersurface of the liquid thus leaving undisturbed a large portion of theliquid mass.

5. In a podgum fur and hair removing apparatus, a funnel containing aninspirator and sieves.

6. In a podgum fur and hair removing apparatus, a funnel containing aninspirator and sieve concentrically located therein.

7. In a podgum fur and hair removing apparatus, a funnel provided withcentrallylocated conical sieves, said funnel and sieves being oppositelydisposed.

8. In a podgum fur and hair removing apparatus, a funnel, sieves locatedtherein, one of said sieves beingdivided into two parts on a planepassing through the axis of the funnel.

9. In a podgum fur and hair removing apparatus, a funnel, sieves locatedtherein, one of said sieves being divided into similar parts by radialplanes passing through the axis of the funnel.

10. As an article of manufacture, a sieve provided with a perforatedconical bottom which is substantially one-half of a frustuin of a coneof revolution, and vertical sides bounding said bottom.

11. As an article of manufacture, a sieve provided with an upwardly andinwardly disposed conical and perforated bottom which is substantially afraction of a frustum of a cone of revolution bounding said bottom.

12. As an article of manufacture, a sieve provided with an upwardly andinwardly disposed conical and perforated bottom,which is substantially afraction of a frustu m of a cone of revolution, vertical walls inclosingsaid bottom, and handles on said vertical walls.

13. As an article of manufacture, a sieve provided with an upwardly andinwardly disposed conical and perforated bottom which is substantially afraction of a frustum of a cone of revolution,vertical walls inclosingsaid bottom, and downwardly and inwardly disposed flanges at the upperedge of one of said walls.

14. As an article of manufacture, a cylindrical sieve with perforatedand conical bottom, said sieve being divided into distinct and integralparts by radial partitions passing through the axis of said cylinder,certain of which vertical partitions being provided with overlappingedges which are adapted to engage and cover the upper edges of the otherpartitions.

15. In a podgum fur and hair removing apparatus, a funnel, sieveslocated therein, and an inspirator concentric with said sieves, andradial pipes connected to the funnel at its lower end.

16. In a podgum hair and fur removing apparatus, a tank, a contractedreceiver located therein, a conical strainer located therein, and meansfor causing said liquid to pass through said strainer.

17. In a podgum hair and fur removing apparatus, a tank, a contractedreceiver'located therein a strainer in said receiver, and means forpassing liquid from the top of the tank through said receiver andstrainer, and thence to the bottom edges of the tank.

18. In a fur and hair removing apparatus, an inspirator, a funnel, andself-cleansing means for separating water from fur in said funnel. V

19. In a podgum-fur-removing apparatus, an inspirator, a funnelconnected therewith, and a conical sieve in said funnel for separatingthe podgum-fur from the liquid which passes through the said funnel.

20. In a podgum fur and hair removing apparatus, a funnel, sieveslocated in said funnel, a steam-pipe with an. adjustable nozzle whichforms an inspirator with a portion of said funnel.

21. In a podguin-fur-removing apparatus, a funnel, radial webs extendingfrom the interior of said funnel, a screw-threaded collar uniting saidwebs, sieves located in said funnel, and a steam-pipe with an adjustablenozzle engaging said collar.

22. In a podgum-fur-removing apparatus, a funnel, radial webs intheinterior thereof with a screw-threaded collar uniting said webs,sieves, a steam-pipe with an-adjustable nozzle engaging said collar, anda jam-nut on said nozzle.

23. Inapodgum-fur-removingapparatus,a funnel, sieves located insai'dfunnel, a steampipe with an adjustable nozzle which forms aninspirator with a portion of said funnel, and a distributer.

24:. In a podgum-fnr-removing apparatus, a funnel, a divided sieve insaid funnel, and a steam-pipe with an adjustable nozzle which forms aninspirator with a portion of said funnel.

25. In a podgum-fur-removing apparatus, a funnel with a cylindricalupper portion, and a strainer with a cylindrical wall and conical bottomfitting said cylindrical upper portion,

and a steam-pipe with a nozzle which forms an inspirator with a portionof said funnel.

Signed in the city, county, and State of New York this 12th day ofMarch, 1903.

WILLIAM HUPCHEN. Witnesses:

JAMES M. MITCHELL, O. E. EDWARDS, Jr.

